1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to operation microscopes and more particularly to a control of operation microscopes. More specifically, the present invention pertains to an automatic control of a relative position between an operation microscope and a patient.
2. Description of Prior Art
In some fields of medical professions such as ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology, operation microscopes have long been used in operations since organs which are to be subjected to operations are of fine tissues. In operations using such microscopes, patients are anesthetized normally only in those portions where the operations are made so that it is very likely that the patients move during the operations. Further, there are possibilities that structures supporting the microscopes be slightly moved due to various reasons. Therefore, the microscopes are very often moved during operations with respect to the patients necessitating readjustment of visual fields and focus conditions.
In conventional operation microscopes, there have therefore been provided fine adjusting mechanisms for moving the optical systems of the microscopes in planes perpendicular to the optical axes thereof to adjust the visual fields and for moving the focusing optical elements along the optical axes to adjust the focus conditions. These fine adjusting mechanisms are operated electrically through actuations of foot pedal switches. It should however be noted that due to developments in the instruments which are used directly or indirectly for performing operations, there are provided foot pedal switches which usually amount to 10 to 20 so that operators may have difficulties even in keeping the locations of the switches in memory. Therefore, there is a danger that the foot pedal switches are erroneously operated.